Venturer Story
by KH.fanatic13
Summary: Mage, Warrior, or Rogue? Xan has the unique and gifted power to become a potent Mage. But what she really wants to be is a Rogue, a thief looked down upon by the people of Eilenlore. But when things go wrong and she's forced to choose, who will she become
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hey, all! This is pretty much just a random story I decided to post up on here. It's not exactly a fanfic., really. It's simply something I've been working on for some time now, and I'd appreciate any comments/concerns you have with it! XD I don't have a title for this story yet, so I'm just going to call it "Venturer Story" for now. If anybody has a good title to offer, I'm all ears! Thanks! **

PROLOGUE

It was a stupid idea….A really, REALLY stupid idea…Before all this had happened, Xan never put much thought into becoming a Mage, let alone a Venturer. A Warrior, maybe. A Mage...The girl let out an involuntary shudder. If there was one thing she didn't trust, it was magic. Her family was known for brewing some of the best tasting beer, wine, and ale for over five generations. And because just about everyone in town knew who the Willowstones were and what they did, Xan was certainly not planning on giving suspicious, nosy hags an excuse to gossip about the black sheep of the family.

But then again, she wasn't supposed to be here either, in front of a rune shop about to steal a wizard's staff.

"Stupid Reedpiper!" Xan bit her right knuckle anxiously, a bad habit she'd had since she was a child. "Stupid lore! Stupid strawberry tarts!"

She muttered a string of oaths under her breath that would have made anyone in Eilenlore blush. Of course, nobody in Eilenlore would be crazy enough to rob a rune shop of one of its most prized possessions. For the umpteenth time that day, Xan cursed Jesse Reedpiper for forcing this onto her.

"If it hadn't been for _her_, if it hadn't been for her _big_, _**fat**_ mouth…"

A slight, dark-haired girl with obsidian eyes glared back at Xan from the tinted shop window. Her face looked troubled, even though her complexion showed healthy vigor and sharp qualities. She bared her teeth at the reflection, and the girl sneered back. Then the face smoothed into slight frown, and she let out a sigh.

"How in the world did I get into this?"

After what seemed like an eternity, the would-be culprit took a quick look around to make sure no one was watching. Fighting the urge to flee and distance herself from the strange edifice, Xan fished out the rusty picks that were constantly with her in case of "emergencies."

She carefully slid the longest of the picks into the keyhole, then slowly jiggled it back and forth, side to side. Her fingers felt the pick latch first onto one nub of the lock, then another as it quickly tried to unlatch the door.

"I swear, when I get out of here alive…."

_Click…Click…_

"I'm going to steal all of Jesse's most valuable things…"

_Click-click…Click…Click…_

"And then I'm going to throw her and her things…"

_Click…_

"…into a pot…"

_Click…Click…_

"And boil them all together!"

…_Click-cha!…_

Xan grinned triumphantly. It opened with ease, which was a curious thing in itself, since she had expected the shop to be practically impossible to break into. It _was_ a sorcerer's store, after all. She cautiously stepped inside, remembering to shut the door. It took a while for her eyes to adjust to the dim setting, but when she was able to see more than two feet ahead of her, she let out a low whistle.

"Whoa. What in the name of…"

To say that the room was cluttered is quite an understatement. Bottles, potions, cloaks, mirrors, glass orbs of all sizes, precious stones, and yes, the occasional wand or two were hanging from all sorts of wooden chandeliers on the ceiling. From there, the items spilled onto the ground in heaps and piles. Xan could barely take a step without accidentally tripping over some enchanted object or spell book.

In the middle of it all, however, was a strange blue crystal ball that pulsed with a glowing energy. It stood on a stone pedestal, reflecting off a bright shade of cerulean for a few seconds before fading into itself again. Drawn by this obviously magical sphere, she moved towards it haltingly. After all, who knew what kind of ill-fated curses were hidden inside its hypnotizing radiance?

Xan could only stare as her feet carried her closer and closer to the orb. When she was directly in front of it, the girl took another moment to drink the light in with her eyes. Her instincts warned her to stay away from the object, as they always did whenever she came too close to something that contained magic.

Xan allowed a brief time for reason to try and dissuade her from touching it.

_What if it'll kill you? How do you know what's in it? It might be cursed…You might get bad luck for the rest of your life! Something horrible is going to happen…Everyone will get some sort of incurable disease, or we'll suffer a famine!_

She shook her head, then gradually stretched her arm at the tantalizing globe.

_Just one small finger…_

As soon as Xan's forefinger brushed lightly against it, the crystal ball beamed brightly.

"_Hello…"_

Xan jumped, taking a hasty step back.

"_You have reached Charon. I am not available at this time, so please leave a message after this sound…_**beep**_! Oh, and the fact that you are listening to this means that you have somehow broken past my defense mechanism. Whoever you are, you are now being watched. If you do not leave before the allotted time, there will be terrible consequences."_

She gulped, then searched wildly to see who might be spying on her. Meanwhile, the disembodied voice continued.

"_If you are a respectable Mage, then welcome. I apologize I am not available to assist you with your purchases, and dreadfully regret the inconvenience. But rest assured, I will return shortly. Thank you for your time, and have a wonderful day!_

…**Beeep**_!"_

After a few seconds of silence, the sphere began to vibrate. It was no longer emitting a soft, azure glow, but was instead shooting off sparks of sapphire lightening. Xan scrambled away from the crystal ball, and sprinted as hard as she could across the shop.

_Forget the wizard's staff!_ She thought, panicking.

_It's time for me to leave!_

She raced to the door, running as if the strange object would roll right across her body and smash her into one big mess.

The door appeared increasingly near with each stride.

_Almost there…Almost there…Almost………There!_

Just as her hand grasped the faceted knob, a streak of lightening zapped Xan square in the back. She landed on the floor with a heavy "_thud_." The last thing she heard before succumbing to darkness was the voice again.

"_I am afraid you have been caught. Please do not panic. As I have said, I will return shortly to deal with you soon. In the mean time, enjoy drifting into a state of unconsciousness. Believe me, it will be paradise compared to what I have in store for you! Thank you very much! Feel free to come again soon!"_

Xan groaned, then gave in as her world dissolved into a deep, black void.


	2. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Mages always came first. Always. At least, that was what Charon told her every single day of the week while she was pining away at chores. When Xan was scrubbing the floor, his voice would drone from the end of the room,

"Mages exhibit patience. Elegance. Skill." He would spare a glace over his shoulder to see if she was paying any attention, then would finish with an emphasized drawl, "_Class_."

She would glare behind him while he was alphabetizing spell books, and then return to whatever she was doing.

"Pompous, arrogant windbag…" Xan muttered one day. "Mages this…Mages that…What in lore's name does _he_ know?" Her fingers tightened their grip on the limp rag. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was a complete quack. A….a _floozy_."

The Mage known as Charon swiftly whispered a spell under his breath, his cloudy, olive green eyes drilling into the back of Xan's head.

"_Morientus alore venixi! _Ha! That will teach her."

Xan's head thrummed, warning her of a spell or magical incantation nearby. She looked around nervously, catching Charon too late for her to do anything about it. That is, too late for her to do anything even if she _could_ have done something. A second later, a massive ache bombarded its way from the rear of her skull to her forehead. She clenched her teeth, trying in vain to mask the pain. Unconsciously dropping the grimy cloth, Xan desperately grasped her head in her hands in an effort to ease the incessant pounding. A tall figure approached to stand in front of the suffering victim. With a single word from the sorcerer, the pain left her instantly.

"There, now. Do you still believe me to be a..a…whatever it is you called me?"

She glared at him. "You claim to be a Mage, and I believe you! I HATE MAGES! All they do is try to push you around, and when that doesn't work, they use brute force! Good-for-nothing weevils!" Xan spat furiously at Charon. Although he was a great deal older than she was, perhaps by forty or fifty years, she had no respect for the likes of him.

Her lips curled in disgust. "All of you are the same. Every single one of you. You act as if you're the only Venturers, the only Guild that actually exists! Without magic, you're nothing!"

Charon could not believe his ears. He had just thrown a psyche spell on this impudent, not to mention, _rude_, commoner. And she still dares to insult him and his kind?

"Little girl, I would watch what you spout out of your impure mouth. Mages have done nothing wrong in the history of Eilenlore. It is always your people who have wronged us, do you hear me? For example, who was the one I caught breaking into my store, eh?"

"That was _six months ago_! You could have made me your slave for at least a couple weeks, or even a month! But no, for you stupid Mages, that would never be enough. How much longer do I have to stay as your prisoner?"

"Don't you think you are exaggerating the circumstances a tad bit? I am generous enough to allow you to return home for the evening, and a portion of the morning. The only time you come to serve me is during the afternoon. It is just like your kind to do nothing but complain time and time again!"

Xan stood straight up to the Mage, though her head reached no higher than the beginnings of his cloak tassels. "Why do you always say, 'your kind?' Are you purposely trying to distance yourself from us? What are you, not human, or something?" Her eyes widened, as if she were being enlightened. "Why, of course! You're _monsters_, you can't possibly be human!"

She smacked her hand to her forehead. "Silly me. Forget I even mentioned the notion."

Xan turned to stride away looking dignified and quite the victor of the argument, when Charon's words stopped her.

"Are you not tired from constantly repeating yourself?"

She squinted back at him.

"What do you mean?"

"Let me clarify. I mean, you and I have this little heated battle of words almost every day. I, quite frankly, wish to move on from such pettiness and discuss more important things."

Xan sighed despondently. She knew what was coming, but it didn't hurt to act as if she didn't know any better.

"I'm not following you – "

"Oh, you know perfectly well what I am referring to, young lady." Charon drew up to his full height, attempting to seem more authoritative in front of this naïve, ignorant girl. "I would like to know how a person such as yourself managed to enter my humble shop all those months ago."

"It wasn't that long ago, it was only – "

"Yes, yes, it was 'only' six months ago. If it was indeed 'only' six months ago, why are you complaining about the long hours of 'servitude,' you are required to suffer through, as you so blatantly called it?"

"Oh, you know what I – "

"I would rather like to see this as an apprenticeship, although it was originally intended as punishment for your crime."

"WHAT?! App-appr-apprenticeship? You've really lost it, haven't you? You're such a hypocrite! You yourself have asked this question many times over the past months!"

He decided to ignore her comment on hypocrisy. "No, unfortunately, I am quite serious about your apprenticeship. I would like to find out how exactly you gained access to my store. You see, this door," he waved towards the seemingly ordinary threshold that closed the two people from the outside world, "was protected with some of the most complex runes, hexes, and spells I knew. It could not have just freely opened itself to you."

"You've already asked me this five hundred times before, too!" Xan's voice was edged with exasperation. "And I've given you the same exact answer five hundred times! I just came into your store right after I unlocked the dumb door with my picks!"

She jammed her fists down her trousers, unusual for a girl of her age to be wearing, and brought out the same rusty picks that were with her on that fateful day. She waved them at Charon.

"See? It's like I said previously. I opened it with these!"

Charon stroke his grey beard a moment before asking,

"Those are not charmed, are they? Are they enchanted?"

"NO! Stop repeating your questions!"

"I want you to try and open my door again." The Mage started to walk towards the front of the shop. "I have to seek out the source."

Xan felt like screaming at the top of her lungs until the old, senile wizard went completely deaf. Why does he keep asking her the same questions? Why in the world does he want to know how she got into his shop? And why, for heaven's sake, does it even matter? She threw her hands up into the air and trudged behind him.

_At least it's better than cleaning up this cluttered mess_, she thought.

"Now," Charon ordered, opening the door, "step outside while I readjust the spells here…"

Donning a sour expression, she slipped out into the warm breeze. Xan quietly replayed what had occurred six months ago in her mind. She again chose the longest of her picks.

_I'd taken this one because it was sturdy_, she recalled.

"There. You may proceed." Charon ordered.

The pick slid neatly into the keyhole. Her fingers deftly played with it, twitching at the slightest depression within the lock.

_Click…Click…_

_Click…Click…_

As she attempted to unlock the door once more, Xan shifted uncomfortably at Charon's intense stare. She knew he was trying to seek out any source of "magic" inside of her, though she doubted there was even an inkling of it in her blood after such a long period of disuse. But didn't he realize even so that she wasn't fit to be a Mage, that she didn't _want_ to be a Mage?

_Click-click-click…._

_Click…Click-click…_

Mages were the last sort of people she wanted to hang around with. Just because she had been with one for a long time now, didn't mean she felt any differently about them. They were stinky and rotten, like the core of a month-old apple. Out of the three Guilds of Venturers, those swine were at the bottom of her list. Warriors were somewhat of an improvement. At least _they_ didn't flaunt their successes around and sniff their noses in the air when someone admitted they didn't know magic. Well…Some of them, anyway. Others were just as puffed up as the Mages, claiming they made up for their lack of magic with physical strength and stamina.

_Click…Click…_

_Click-click…Click-click…_

An agitated voice interrupted her, startling Xan out of her musings.

"Surely it should have been opened by now?" Charon crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. She would have found this comical, had she not been irritated herself at the slow progress.

"Yeah, it should have been unlocked some time ago. I'm not sure why it isn't…."

She trailed off as she wiggled the pick inside the lock.

_I don't understand…Why isn't it working?! _Her frustration was evident as her hand vibrated with increasing fervor.

"Why…Won't…You…."

_Click-cha…._

Finally, with a protesting creak, the door gave way.

"Well it's about time!" Xan mumbled as she stepped back. "There. It's done. Can we go back inside now?"

Charon took his time answering, first observing the door hanging ajar, then glancing sideways towards the girl.

"Amazing…I did not believe it would work a second time…"

"What's that you said?" Xan inquired.

The old Mage quickly recovered from his initial wonder, then took on a more passive look. "Yes, yes, very well. After you, girl."

He had not wanted to admit this before, because he was so unsure of the possibilities. How could this child, this impudent, annoying, bratty little girl, show so much potential? Even now, after some proof, he had trouble accepting the fact. Xan had already ambled indoors and was about to set out organizing the potion bottles when Charon interrupted.

"Forget about those, girl. We have more urgent things that need to be addressed."

He shuffled forward and snatched the mixtures out of her hand when she continued to pick them up. "I know you heard me. Stop turning a deaf ear and listen. We absolutely _must_ go further with this apprenticeship. You will cease to waste time arguing with me and learn the glorious art of magic."

The sorcerer halted when he heard laughter.

"I am sorry. Was there something amusing in what was said?"

Xan was still smiling when she replied, "You still think I can do some weird magic and hocus-pocus? I'm flattered that you think so, I really am. However, I find it _very_ hard to believe that I have anything at all to do with magic. It's just not possible." She hoped that Charon would be fooled by her act, and believe that she indeed had no evidence of magic.

The Mage narrowed his eyes at her.

"You remain unconvinced." It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

"Yes."

"It is just like you commoners to doubt the truth, even when it is so painfully obvious." Sighing, Charon beckoned her to follow him. "Come. I will prove it to you if I must. But then," he looked sharply at her before continuing, "you must promise to be apprenticed to me as my student. Do you understand?"

She said nothing, only turned her head away from his gaze.

"What is it you want to show me?"

He led her to the back of the shop, where, behind a small mountain of charmed items and pendants, a worn, tattered rug was draped on the floor. The elderly man kicked it away, revealing a trapped door. Xan stared.

"Six months, and I didn't even know that thing was there?"

"It is to be expected. Even if you had somehow managed to move the carpet, this would not have appeared to your eyes."

Without hesitating, he lifted the door and climbed down a set of wooden, rickety stairs. Xan paused, suspicious. Many thoughts flitted through her mind at once.

_What if this is a trap? What if he intended to lure me here, and curse me, or hurt me in some way as vengeance? I'm sure he's capable of killing me. He's often threatened to murder me in my sleep…Maybe he's going to get rid of me, then use my body parts as ingredients for his spells! _

She skipped back from the opening and was about to escape when Charon poked his head from the entrance.

"I have little tolerance for patience, as I am sure you have noticed. I do not wish to do this either, but it would reassure not only you, but myself as well. Hurry! Or do you want to force me to keep you here during the evenings, too?"

Xan clambered down the steps as fast as her legs would allow. After jumping down the last two steps, she gathered her wits about and surveyed the surroundings.

It was more of a musty sort of cellar rather than a basement. Cobwebs decorated the corners of the long hall, and the walls were bedecked with spots of mold. Something dark scurried past Xan's boot. She hoped it was only a rat.

"_Incende flammam!_"

Suddenly, the dank room was flooded with a fiery glow. It was as if hundreds of burning torches were lit, but she couldn't see the source of the light. Charon noticed her searching, and pointed up to the ceiling.

"Try looking up there."

Craning her neck, Xan realized that there indeed were flames lighting their way. Except instead of being hung along the walls, they were floating high above their heads.

"Amazing!" she whispered.

Charon hid his smile. "A simple enough spell. You will learn to do the same in time."

It was good that this girl was enjoying the small spectacle. Perhaps she will change her views on sorcery and learn to appreciate it. They _were_ going to have to work with magic for a while now, anyway. She might as well begin to enjoy the basic spells.

After traveling throughout the twisting corridors for some time, Xan spoke up.

"Umm…No one is watching after the shop. How will we know if a customer's come in or not? Aren't you worried someone's going to steal something?" She secretly wished a Rogue would take advantage of the tantalizingly empty store.

Unknowingly, Charon had stopped at his destination. Xan threw her arms out from her sides and wind-milled them around to keep from bumping into him.

"Geez!" she breathed a sigh of relief, her nose just inches away from his back.

"Here we are. Now…"

The Mage circled the perimeter of yet another room, this one barren of any furniture or other domestic things.

"This is where I like to come down and meditate, replenish my magic, recover after a tiring day, etc. Although at first the smell is quite disagreeable, one becomes used to it after a bit. Mages usually like to find one spot, whether indoors or out, to simply come in contact with their source of magic. This is mine."

Xan snorted. "That's it?"

"You may not think much of it, but I happen to favor this place. You will find your own area later on. However, as you cannot even credit your own abilities, I will first show you the presence of your magic. Have a seat."

There were no chairs, so she had to lower herself onto the dirt ground. Charon placed himself directly in front of her.

"Now, give me your hand."

She gave him a questioning glance. When he saw that she wasn't going to oblige, he merely grabbed it himself and closed his eyes. Xan fought against the sorcerer, but he was surprisingly strong for his age.

"Keep still!" he snapped. "I am seeking your source of power."

She scowled, then reluctantly let him hold her hand. A few seconds passed. Then, his eyebrows shot up, but his eyes were still closed.

"Ah…..I have found it…" he continued speaking without seeing, "All right. Keep your palm upturned. I will do the same. Now, watch carefully!"

He released her hand, then raised his own with the palm facing up. She barely heard him when he whispered the word.

"_Tendo_!"

Almost immediately, a black spark leapt from his hand. Xan gaped at the dark explosion of matter floating serenely in midair. It seemed to be a live thing, its tendrils curling in and out, writhing with each passing moment. It was beautiful, yet it looked as if it did not belong here, exposed to the outside world. The source of magic rolled in on itself over and over again, like it was trying to reassert its current physical form.

"This is a small sample from my reserve of magic. Every Mage has his or her own supply stored within themselves. If a boy or girl is sensed to possess even a kernel of this, he or she is sent right away to be apprenticed to a Mage. They must have the proper training and rearing so that their magic is used correctly. We have had altogether too many tragic cases where a small town boy by the name of Rob, or girl named Anita loses control of his or her magic and severely damages or even kills a person within distance. I cannot risk the same with you."

His words struck Xan in a particular way, and she forced a feeling of dread back into her mind.

"Actually, I am quite surprised that you have come thus far without any incident. You have such a large amount of magic inside of you, I would have thought for sure that something would happen during the last couple of months. Thank lore that it has not occurred yet."

Xan turned away from him, banishing a memory that had suddenly sprung into her head unbidden.

"Now, I have already contacted your core, your innermost magic. It should be easier for you now to summon it, since it has been reawakened. Go ahead, try to call the magic from your soul. You must say the word, 'tendo,' as I had, to fully extract the bit of it out into our world."

She didn't want to do it. She didn't want to summon it, call it, or whatever. Xan remembered far too well how much misery _it_ had once brought her, and she had no thought of resurrecting the hateful thing.

"Come, come, I do not have all day…" Charon's black orb of magic curled almost, it appeared, with impatience.

"I – " Xan swallowed, her throat strangely dry. "I'm not sure if I should…"

The elderly Mage shook his head emphatically. "No, no, I refuse to hear this nonsense. If we let it go any longer, who knows what catastrophe might come of it. It really is quite easy. Do not be afraid. Extend your thoughts to your inner being, and meditate a little until your mind becomes blank. That is when you start to pull at your conscience, a bit like you would pull a yard of string. Coax it until you can clearly sense the magic in your mind.

"Now, with time, this will become much easier, to the point where you do not even have to search for it. Your source will be there right when you have need of it."

No matter what he said, Xan's ears didn't seem to be working. Her mind automatically muffled out his words until a ringing tone could be heard.

_I can't do it…I can't do it…Not after what happened last time. I thought an evil spirit was haunting me my whole life. Now…_

She started sweating bullets down her temple, her breathing quickened.

_I can't do it, I can't do it…_

Too many worries, anxieties, fears filled her up until she was a well threatening to spill over.

_I can't do it, I can't do it…Never again, no more pain…_

Charon hadn't noticed what was happening until he saw Xan's upturned hand start to shake. At first, he was led to believe that she was just exerting too much force to summon her magic. But then he saw her face, pale as the bone of a corpse, and the Mage began to be the slightest bit concerned.

"Girl? Girl, are you all right? Do you need air, space to breathe?"

She continued to ignore him, vivid images of the forbidden memory sliding by her eyes one by one.

_Flames, smoke, lightening…A storm. Burnt corpses of animals lying everywhere, everywhere, everywhere…_

Charon knew the symptoms of a trance when he saw one. But he had never glimpsed one as brutal as the one the girl was experiencing. He decided it was time to interfere.

"Girl, I am uncertain if you can hear or understand me, but I am going to need your hand once more. I am warning you in case you feel startled, or uncomfortable…"

It was no use. Xan showed no indication of having heard him, and she kept staring ahead with glazed eyes, seeing something the sorcerer had no way of viewing.

Charon tugged at his beard with his free hand_. All right…Time to find out what exactly is happening here…_

He carefully extended his hand, the one holding his source of magic, to hers. It was not even three inches away when the small sample of black magic sitting on his palm shot up about twenty or so feet into the air. The tiny, curling orb was now an enormous, monstrous, spinning column of magic.

Charon gasped as his source was sent hurtling up. Such potent magic! Where did she get so much? More importantly, _how_ is she able to obtain so much? He reeled the dark cyclone back into his body, feeling more complete as it retreated to the back of his inner conscience.

_Now, to deal with this girl…_

Just before he was able to grab a hold of her, though, a blazing, silver-white star burst onto her palm. It illuminated with such intensity that Charon was forced to shield his eyes from the burning, raw power. Blinded, the Mage was reduced to reaching out with his magic to try and tame the wild source.

"How was she able to summon it without uttering a word? Only the most advanced Mages can do this without depending on the use of speech!" he thought aloud. "This is dangerous. She might end up killing herself, so I shall have to drain all of her magic from her body. There is no other option."

Determination etched into his face, the sorcerer recalled his inner magic, the nightshade that he had stuffed back into his soul. It reappeared slowly, somewhat dazed, onto his hand. Then, after shielding himself with a portion of the magic, Charon formed one long, thick arm out of the small tendrils that were floating in the air. It wrapped itself around Xan's wilder, inexperienced source, smothering the pure light with its tentacle. Her magic was strong and continued to resist, even under the weight of the more dominant and darker version of itself. After what seemed like centuries, however, Charon had managed to overcome and absorb her magic with his own.

With a sharp gasp, Xan's body stiffened, then went limp as she crumpled to the floor. The ordeal had left her unconscious.

"Why is it that every time something involving magic happens, she faints unceremoniously onto _my_ property?" the Mage grumbled. "Now I shall have to carry her heavy body like a flour sack with my magic."

Despite his words, she was gently lifted from the ground and floated out of the room. He turned left, striding until he arrived at a chamber complete with a bed and a single table. The girl was softly laid down on the bed to recover. Before leaving, Charon turned around to scrutinize her.

"You and I," he resolved, "are going to have a talk."

Feeling a throbbing pain from his wrist to the crook of his elbow, he glanced down to notice a searing burn mark branded in remembrance of the previous ordeal.

"Quite a long talk indeed."

END CHAPTER 1


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